A Few Words on Results and Facts

Published:PravdaNo. 92, April 23, 1913.

      Signed:K. P..

      Published according to thePravdatext.Source:Lenin
	  Collected Works,

      Progress Publishers,1977,

      Moscow,Volume 19,

      pages63-65.Translated:The Late George HannaTranscription\Markup:R. CymbalaPublic Domain:Lenin Internet Archive

      (2004).You may freely copy, distribute,
	display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and
	commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet
	Archive” as your source.•README

ThePravdaanniversary must turn the thoughts of every politically
conscious worker (and, we would add, every politically conscious democrat) to
theresultsachieved by the newspaper of consistent democrats and
Marxists.

Thequestion of results, of course, is connected with the question of whether
the advanced workers of Russia are, in their mass, on the side ofPravda. As far as bourgeois subscribers are concerned a newspaper is
important if it sells, it does not matter to them where it is sold or whether it
serves to rally a certain class and which class; a newspaper is important to the
Marxist and consistent democrat as an organ for theenlightenmentandconsolidationof truly advanced classes.

Weare not indifferent to the question of where and how our newspaper is
sold. It is most important for us toknowwhether it really does serve
to enlighten and consolidate the advanced class of Russia, i.e., the working
class.

Togain thisknowledgeone must look forfactsthat can
provide an answer to the question.

Byfacts, different people understand different things. Bourgeois journalists do
not hesitate to lie by omitting to cite a singlepreciseand clear fact
that can be verified.

Liberalworking-class politicians, the liquidators, imitate the bourgeois
journalists. One of them, and a leading one at that,
F. D.[2]himself, wrote inLuch[3]No. 57 (143):

“Itis a fact that cannot be denied and one that we feel
   [what feeling people they are!] with pride in our day-to-day work, that our
   newspaper [Luch] is truly the organ of a good nine-tenths of the
   advanced, politically conscious workers of Russia.”

“Itis a fact that cannot be denied and one that we feel
   [what feeling people they are!] with pride in our day-to-day work, that our
   newspaper [Luch] is truly the organ of a good nine-tenths of the
   advanced, politically conscious workers of Russia.”

Itis worth while having a good laugh at this Khlestakov
or
Nozdryov,[4]andPravdahas already had its laugh. Mereridicule, however, is not enough. Workers must learn to grasp facts and verify
them forthemselvesso that the Nozdryovs will not be able to deceive
them or their less developed workmates.

Howare facts to be sought and verified? Best of all by finding out howPravdaandLuchcirculate amongworkers(and not
among the liberal intelligentsia, who are liquidators almost to a man). But no
such facts are available.

Letus look for some others.

Letus take the figures forthe workers’ groupsthat supportPravdaandLuchby voluntary contributions. These figures,publishedin the two papers, arefacts. Anybody can verify
them, anybody can, by studying them, expose the Nozdryovs, of whom there are
many in the world of journalism.

Pravdahas once already published these facts for a half
year (see No. 80 for

				 1912[1])—for

the first six months of 1912—and nobody can refute them. We now give them
forthe
whole of1912 and the beginning of 1913.

Anyreader can check these figures by takingPravdaandLuchand can correct the totals if he finds a mistake.

Theseare realfactsthat it is worth while distinguishing from
the boasting and untruths of Messrs. F. D. and otherLuchgentlemen.

Donot these facts constitute a splendid confirmation ofLuch’sreference to nine-tenths, made in the Nozdryov manner?

The“nine-tenths”Luchsupporters, among whom there are,
notoriously, the Bund members and the “upper crust” of the Letts,
have not been able, in themore than six monthsofLuch’sexistence (fourth quarter of 1912 and first quarter of
1913, plus ten days of April), to mobilise evenone halfthe number of
workersPravdaand the future Moscow news paper have been able to. Is
this not a true Nozdryov method, this conversion of an obviousminorityinto “nine-tenths”?

Theworkers are surrounded on all sides by such a sea of lies in the bourgeois
newspapers that they must fight for the truth at all costs, they must learn to
recognise falsehoods and reject them. The erroneous views of the liquidators of
the workers’ party must be calmlyrefuted. But an impudent Nozdryov
lie, this shameless corruption of the workers, must be branded, and the liars
chased out of the workers’ midst.

Theworkers want unity in their actions. The workers are right. Without unity of
action there is no salvation for the workers.

Whenyou think of it—how can there be unity without the submission of the
minority to the majority? Everyone realises that without it unity is impossible.

Andso, even if the liquidators were not the liquidators of the Party, the
workers would have to know whatviewsare held by the majority. If they
do not know this the workers cannot achieveunity of action(because
frequently Party and non-Party workers have to act jointly).

Theworkers cannot build uptheir ownparty unless they ruthlessly
fight every lie that is told about it. In order to expose lies it is necessary
to seekprecisefacts, verify them and think about the meaning of what
has been verified.

Class-consciousworkers, those who oppose liquidationism, have undoubtedly taken
first place in creating a working-class press. They have won an incontestable,
overwhelming majority for themselves. They will treat every lie that is spread
about this serious and very important question with contempt and disdain.

[1]Seepresent edition, Vol. 18, pp. 196–200.—Ed.

[2]F.D.—F. Dan, one of the leading Menshevik liquidators.

[3]Luch(The Ray)—legal daily newspaper published in
St. Petersburg from September 1912 to July 1913 by the Menshevik
liquidators.

[4]Khlestakov—the hero of Gogol’sInspector-General;
an inveterate braggart and liar.

Nozdryov—a character from Gogol’sDead Souls; a
brawling landowner and swindler.

[5]Asearly as the summer of 1912, Lenin had spoken of the need to publish
a legal working-class newspaper in Moscow. “Every politically conscious
worker realises that St. Petersburg without Moscow is like one hand without
the other,” he wrote. “... Moscow will of course have to have a workers’
daily newspaper ofits own.” Nevertheless Lenin considered it
necessary to consolidatePravdaand then start the newspaper in
Moscow—MoscowPravda, he called it in a letter to Maxim
Gorky. The question of publishing a Party newspaper in Moscow was discussed
at the Conference of Central Committee members in Poronin on July 27
(August 9), 1913.

Acampaign to collect funds for a Moscow newspaper began in
December 1912 after a letter had appeared inPravda(No. 176,
November 24, 1912) from a group of Moscow workers pointing-out the
importance and the feasibility of launching a working-class newspaper in
Moscow; the letter also appealed for collections to be made for a newspaper
fund. The appeal was taken up energetically by the workers, but the
appearance of the paper was delayed by the arrest of a group of Bolsheviks
making preparations for its issue. The first issue of the Moscow workers
newspaper appeared on August 25 (September 7), 1913 and was calledNash
Put(Our Path).